Can-opener.



E. Wb'LPER. CAN OPENER. APPLICATION FILED APR.29, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

' whereby the cutting out of the can cover is UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

RNST W6LFE'R, or eorrm, GERMAN-Y.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST WiiLEER, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Gotha, in Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Openers, of which the following is a specification.

In can-openers hitherto used with cutters, the opening of the can is effected by the opener being stuck into the cover of the can whereupon the can is cut in slow strokes. The surface of the cut is always jagged and therefore it is very easy to injure the hands when taking out the conserve contained in the can. Moreover, the work of opening the can is very diflicult, as the sticking in of the opener and the cutting of the can by the same, requires the use of considerable force.

By means of the device forming the subj ect of this invention, leverage is utilized in combination with suitable cutting tools,

rendered very easy.

The can opener is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate diagrammatically the methods of using the opener.

As a cutting tool a rotary cutter adriven by means of a crank or lever I) providedwith'a handle, is used in place of the usual stationary cutter. The essential novelty of the construction according to this invention is that the rotary cutter a is mounted in an easily adjustable manner on one branch 0 of a pair of tongs. The rotary cutter a is made of any desired size and provided on the back with a friction wheel (1 secured to the cutter. When the Crank 5 is oscillated, the parts a and d mounted on the same spindle also oscillate. On the opposite side, that is to say, on the other branch of the tongs, is mounted a friction wheel 6 in such a manner that, when the branches of the tongs are closed, the wheel 6 engages with the friction wheel d. The opening and closing of the tongs is effected by the branches f in the known manner. The part of the tongs, on which the rotary cutter a is mounted, -is extended outward into a bracket 9 carrying a stationary cutter h, and lateral protective ledges z' are used for inclosing at the sides the drivinggear a d e, in order to prevent injury during the rotation.

The working of the can opener is as folfrom the rotatingrc'utter a and the friction wheel (1. Into the opening thus produced.

Patented Apr. 30,1912. Application filed April 29, 1911. Serial No. 624,076.

lows: By opening the branches f of the 1 tongs, the friction wheel e'is moved away When the edge of the can, andon the other side the cutter a engages with the can. If a slight pressure is exercised on the branches f,

the cutter awill cut'the can at the point of contact, and to such a depth that the fricthe friction wheel 01 will bring about the advance of the whole tool, while the friction wheel 6 acts as a guide on the opposite side. During this further movement, the rotary cutter a smoothly cuts out the cover inacomplete circle. The can so opened can be used again after suitablyfianging over the upper edge, as no bends of any kind are formed in cutting. If it is desired to cut a thickupart of the can for instance the soldered part, or the like, or if the bending upward of a flanged over portion becomes necessary, this is effected by means 'of the.cut-ter k, and one half of the tongs is then used as an abutment against which the cutter It cuts (Fig. 3).

The can opener can be manufactured in a simple manner. and is highly practical owing'to its combination of leverage wit-h cutting tools. All the movable parts, more particularly the cutter a and the friction rollers, can be made easily interchangeable, and in "place of one branch of the tongs a fixed bottom bracket can be used which for instance could be screwed to a table.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a can opener the combination of a pair of tongs, a circular cutter and a conical friction wheel rigidly connected thereto mounted on one arm of the tongs, crank mechanism adapted to rotate the cutter, and a second friction wheel mounted on the other arm of the tongs and adapted to;,.en'- gaglla1 the first cutter for the purpose'set ort A a 2. A can opener comprising a pair of a tongs, a cutter rotatably mounted on one branch of the tongs, a lever rigidly connected to said cutter, a friction Wheel on the branch which carries the cutter, and a second friction wheel mounted on the other branch of the tongs for the purpose set forth.

3. A can openercomprising a pair of tongs, a cutter rotatably mounted on one branch of the tongs, a lever rigidly connected to said cutter, a friction Wheel secured to the cutter, and a second friction Wheel mounted on the other branch of the tongs for the purpose set forth.

21. A can opener comprising'a pair of tongs, a cutter rotatably mounted on one branch of the tongs, a lever rigidly connected to said cutter, a friction Wheel se-' cured to the cutter, a second friction Wheel mounted on the other branch of the tongs,

and a protective ledge for the cutter and friction Wheels for the purpose set forth.

5. A. can opener comprising a pair of tongs, a cutter rotatably mounted on one branch of the tongs, a lever rigidly connected to said cutter, a friction Wheel secured to the cutter, a second friction Wheel mounted on the other branch of the tongs, a protective ledge for the cutter and friction Wheels, and a fixed cutter secured to a bracket on one branch of the tongs for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ERNST WoLFER.

Witnesses: v

MAX RUGE, CHAS. BORNGRAEBER. 

